Compact 35mm SLR's...

[Les Sarile]

Like I said, other than the size, the OP hasn't indicated any other feature that may or may not be important. This clearly puts the Canon T90 (aka The Tank) and the equally massive Canon New F-1, Nikon F4 and Mamiya RB67 out of consideration.

The 70's Mamiya Sekor's you mentioned are not on the list either nor are they considered compact as they were the size of the others in the era.

Looking at the OP's updated list, I don't really know what the objective is.

 

[elcabezagrande]

I don't know how much you precision that you gained over center-weighted metering by using the spot metering on those old Mamiyas, it seems like the "spot" was a little on the large side?

 

[flavio81]

Like I said, other than the size, the OP hasn't indicated any other feature that may or may not be important. This clearly puts the Canon T90 (aka The Tank) and the equally massive Canon New F-1, Nikon F4 and Mamiya RB67 out of consideration.

The 70's Mamiya Sekor's you mentioned are not on the list either nor are they considered compact as they were the size of the others in the era.

Looking at the OP's updated list, I don't really know what the objective is.

Agree. I was just answering your question regarding MF SLR bodies with spot metering.

Yes, those 35mm Mamiya SLRs are very bulky, as is the T90, which i find huge and a bit ugly. The F-1N looks compact in comparison!!

 

[blockend]

CdS vs Selenium metering, is like cloth vs metal shutters, they seemed a big deal at the time but accuracy is more important than theoretical advantages. The Canon AT-1 shouldn't be overlooked as it was one of very few cameras of that era which had a lightweight body, full manual only metering and takes modern easily accessible batteries. I have most A-series and T-series Canons and my AT-1 is used as often as any of them.

 

[Les Sarile]

Selenium needs no batteries and not coupled.
CdS is slow to react, limited in low light and can be blinded by bright light.
As with any meter, if you know their working parameters you can make good exposures.

Anyone ever encounter the Miranda DX-3? As I understand it, it maybe as compact as the Pentax MX. From what I can find, it's build quality may have been questionable -> Miranda DX-3

 

[beegee675]

Great notes guys... and thanks to Les for the in-depth info. Good to see the Pentax quality represented. Haven't had the opportunity to physically compare or use the LX, but it's out there somewhere. Have a few Miranda Sensorex's/EE's, as this was my first 35mm. Good for the muscles, but alas, a bit too much to get into the small 35mm top group. The Dx-3, being the last Miranda, may not make into use because of the predominantly dodgy electronics, even when it was new... I'm still trying to hone the top tier group to possibilities... The Canon users out there might razz me for pushing the AE's into the middle, but I've tried them, and the upper possibilities seem better. There's all sorts of bells and whistles added to these classics, but it's nice to compare the Pentax LX and the Oly OM4T...
Bob